In accordance with recommendation 2 of Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins’ Set the Standard: Report on the Independent Review into Commonwealth Parliamentary Workplaces (the Jenkins Report), a Parliamentary Leadership Taskforce has been established to oversee the implementation of the Report’s recommendations.
The Parliamentary Leadership Taskforce is a cross‐party steering group to ensure coordinated and non‐partisan implementation of the Report’s recommendations, and embed institutional leadership.
The Parliamentary Leadership Taskforce will review progress against the Jenkins Report recommended timeframes and drive priorities for implementation.
Consistent with recommendation 2 of the Jenkins Report, the Parliamentary Leadership Taskforce’s role will include:
- developing and communicating an implementation plan with specific timeframes;
- defining and communicating common values which can drive cultural change across parliamentary workplaces;
- preparing an annual public report of progress made in the implementation of recommendations; and
- tracking, on a quarterly basis, key measures of a safe and respectful work environment to monitor progress in implementation.
The Parliamentary Leadership Taskforce will comprise three representatives from the Government, three from the Opposition, one from a minor party, one independent, and be led by an Independent Expert Chair. An observer for each representative may attend the meeting.
The Parliamentary Leadership Taskforce will operate by consensus.
The Parliamentary Leadership Taskforce will consult with Commissioner Jenkins and other relevant experts and individuals as required. These may include the Presiding Officers, Party Leaders, Heads of the Parliamentary Departments, parliamentary staff and other participants in Commonwealth Parliamentary Workplaces.
The Parliamentary Leadership Taskforce will be supported by an Implementation Group.
The Independent Expert Chair and the Parliamentary Leadership taskforce are supported by a secretariat.